Buffers are frequently used in the form of so-called flip-flops in digital circuits. A flip-flop is a clocked memory element having a multiplicity of transistors, which provides a state of an input signal, which is applied to the input, at the output when an edge of a set signal is applied to a set input, which is also referred to as setting. Clocking is usually effected using a periodic clock signal.
If, in the case of the flip-flop, the state of the input signal, which is applied to the input, does not change over a relatively long period of time, the state of an output signal, which is provided at the output, also remains unchanged. However, the state of the signal, which is provided at the output, is reset with each clock pulse. Each setting operation is internally associated with a considerable amount of power consumption since the setting operation is associated with flip-flop-internal switching operations of transistors which the flip-flop comprises.